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West Bengal government has issued a set of guidelines to hospitals against the rampant use of antibiotics on coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients on the advice of its team of medical experts. <\/p>\n
\u201cCovid-19 is a viral disease. Antibiotics, per se, have no role in it. Do not prescribe antibiotics routinely in Covid-19 patients unless bacterial co-infection is suspected,\u201d stated the guideline that was issued in mid-July.<\/p>\n
Two teams of medical experts, set up by the Mamata Banerjee-led administration, have been making the rounds of the designated Covid-19 hospitals to find critical gaps in treatment protocols and bring uniformity in viral outbreak management. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe teams found that antibiotics such as azithromycin and doxycycline were being indiscriminately prescribed along with a few other shortcomings. Later, the state health department formed a committee that drafted the guidelines of rational use of antibiotics,\u201d said a state health department official. <\/p>\n
The guidelines have warned against the prophylactic prescription of antibiotics to prevent bacterial pneumonia or other infections.<\/p>\n
It has stated that antibiotics should be considered for patients with high-oxygen demand and show signs of rapidly progressing respiratory failure. <\/p>\n
\u201cAll patients with severe Covid-19 symptoms do not require antibiotics. Initially, microbiological tests such as sputum and blood can be conducted, and later antibiotic treatment could be administered,\u201d said one of the experts. <\/p>\n
In June, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned that increased antibiotics use in combating the Covid-19 outbreak would strengthen bacterial resistance and could lead to more deaths. <\/p>\n
\u201cIndiscriminate use of antibiotics will not just increase the risk of anti-microbial resistance and create superbugs, but will also increase the cost of treatment,\u201d said Dr. Sukumar Mukherjee, a member of the Global Advisory Board that has been set up to advice the Bengal government on Covid-19 management. <\/p>\n
Senior state health department officials said that only 13% of the patients, who show severe and moderate symptoms, need to be hospitalised. The rest can be treated at home. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs the disease is new, the government has issued some interim guidelines. These would be updated periodically,\u201d said a state health department official. <\/p>\n
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